Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Cynic's Corner #2

This is not so recent news but as I'm doing a pretty good impersonation of that " . . . rehashed variation of the cynical SPGBer playing out the role of the one bloke and his leaflet "cold-water brigade", I note that Arminius has cited an old post of mine at Spaces of Hope, where, in keeping with someone who is a member of the World in Common group, he takes both the SPGB and the Anarchist Bookfair - by way of the Anarchist Federation - to task for the ". . . squabbling nature of even the tiny slice of the left that makes up our anti-capitalist, anti-reformist, and anti-statist sector". Jools and Arminius himself make valid comments to the post, whilst I do my usual 'Nine out of ten anarchists annoy the fuck out of me' rant, but that isn't the reason for part two of Cynic's Corner.

Having another look at the programme for the Anarchist Bookfair, I note that there are a number of excellent meetings and discussions being held during the bookfair, on everything from 'Is the Class Struggle Dead, or Just Resting?' to 'The Story of Solidarity 1960 – 1990', but what's that meeting I can spot half way down the programme?


'The Case For Solidarity'

No Sweat

Showing of new No Sweat film and discussion. The film looks at the worldwide exploitation of workers in sweatshops and the response of the anti-capitalist movement.

Who are No Sweat? Well, you can always ask VP and Jim Denham at Shiraz Socialist but, better still, you can always go direct to the source here. Btw, I'm no expert on these matters but don't you think that the websites for No Sweat and the AWL look kinda similar? Almost like they have the same webmaster?

No worries, I already expressed my view on the whole business of the SPGB applying for a stall in my original post, and fair play to the AWL for one of the better front campaigns and for gatecrashing the *cough* party, but it does suggest to this jaded cynic that either 'Dan Chatterton' is not a very good gatekeeper to the anarchist purity of the event or it's a case of one rule for you lot, and the SPGB can go swivel.

Guess what my opinion is on the matter?

8 comments:

daggi said...

They don't look that similar actually, do they (and they looked both very different indeed until the Nosweat site was hacked a while back and was then re-done),

I'm not even sure both sites have the same webmaster - in fact, I'm pretty sure they don't and haven't for a long time....

Imposs1904 said...

Nah,

I think there is similarities of layout rather than the graphics. And I'll hazard a guess that the webmaster is the same bloke - the original AWL blogger, no less.

Btw, what's with the No Sweat site getting hacked? Never heard about that, but I seem to remember that the AWL website was occasionally subject to hacks. I wonder if it was the same person doing both?

daggi said...

The No Sweat site was down for many weeks until last week or thereabouts. And while the "original AWL blogger" does give himself some credit for the current version of the No Sweat site (and was responsible for the much older version of the WL site too), I think since the WL site was made to look a bit better a year or so ago, not NH but KE (in the north-east?) has been responsible for it. (These are my observations as someone reading the sites who (no longer) has any active political contact with the AWL)...

Nanana!

voltaires_priest said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
voltaires_priest said...

Ok then, I'll bite and "guess your opinion on the matter".

I'm guessing your opinion is... "Spout dry sectarian humour for another 104 years and we'll have socialism, comrades"?

Do I get the cigar? :D

Imposs1904 said...

hello VP,

I hope your first comment was funnier and more political astute than the second one. ;-)

And please don't come out it with the sectarian gubbins. The Leninist Left just dress it up better. The AWL is as guilty of sectarianism as the next group on the left.

When I was a candidate member, especial sectarian bile was reserved for Socialist Action for some reason (with the SWP always in reserve), and then on various occasions it's been Workers' Power. (with the SWP always in reserve).

But thanks for the backhanded compliment about the dry humour, though. ;-)

Imposs1904 said...

And what's this:
"Spout dry sectarian humour for another 104 years and we'll have socialism, comrades"?

The Party's only been sectarian for 102 years, and the dry humour bit only kicked in when I rejoined the SPGB in 1998. My first period of membership, from 1988-1996 was characterised by gallows humour, and my lost political weekend of candidate membership of the AWL in 1997 was more slapstick humour. (Our old comrade Jim provided the banana skins and custard pies).

Cheers

voltaires_priest said...

Yes yes, but no-one else (other than those two wonderful two chaps, the ICC) other than the SPGB manages to be sectarian towards the entire world at the same time. I mean, that's going some - you guys are in the zone! :D

And for 1024 years as well (I appreciate that you're in the organisation's youth wing)... they certainly get the prize for consistency!

Anyway, please return to your next 50 years of doing... err... whatever it is the SPGB do... ;-)